


bewitched you in the moonlight

by captainegg



Series: Harry Potter Fests [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Halloween, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sirius Black Fest 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26286667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainegg/pseuds/captainegg
Summary: Sirius is absolutely smitten by an adorably awkward Remus dressed as a werewolf.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter (minor), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Harry Potter Fests [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127531
Comments: 20
Kudos: 99
Collections: Sirius Black Fest 2020





	bewitched you in the moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> By the time you will read this, Halloween is already over but this prompt was just too cute to pass up.  
> On that note, happy belated Halloween 🎃
> 
> Written for Sirius Black Fest! Thank you so much to the wonderful mods for hosting such a fun fest 🌈✨
> 
> Thank you Katt for being my absolute rockstar of a beta 💛
> 
> Cheers to darklordsaron, my prompt buddy and costume consultant, and everyone else who listened to me ramble about this 👻
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Autumn. 

Sirius Black’s favourite season. 

Jumping through puddles, knitted jumpers, motorbike rides through the early morning mist, Euphemia’s home-made pumpkin pasties, hot cocoa with marshmallows, and the sound of auburn leaves crushing beneath the sole of his leather boots.

And just like every year, it is time for the big Halloween party at the Potters. Sirius stands in the driveway with James, watching as Fleamont and Euphemia round the corner to their street and pull up to the house, their car stuffed with drinks, snacks and some last-minute decorations James had sent them out to get. 

The boys wave excitedly and once the car comes to a halt, they unload everything and carry it into the large kitchen. Sirius vibrates with excitement, an unusual spring in his step.

Fleamont puts down a bag filled with sweets and laughs. “Sirius, kid, I haven’t seen you this excited since… well, last year’s Halloween.” 

Sirius’ head pops up from behind the counter where he is putting away drinks. “I mean, what isn’t there to be excited about? I get to eat as much candy as I want, listen to good music, wear a fun costume, pull a prank or two, and spend time with my friends. It’s just _magical_.” Sirius snatches a chocolate bar from the counter, breaks off a piece and catapults it into his mouth, effortlessly catching it out of the air, grinning.

Fleamont laughs again and shakes his head. “As long as you don’t burn the house down while we’re gone.” 

James and Sirius exchange secret glances. “No promises, dad,” James says and both boys muffle their laughs with a handful of candy as they run out of the house to fetch the last few bags from the car.

Time is lost between stealing candy from the large bowls set out in the living room, hanging up decorations, perfecting their ultimate Halloween party playlist and seeing Euphemia and Fleamont off, and soon Sirius puts the finishing touches on his Maleficent costume. 

Originally, Sirius had planned to be Spider-Man this year but James wanted to be Spider-Man so that Lily could be his MJ. And being the good friend that he is, Sirius had agreed to let James be Spider-Man and settled for his second, and in hindsight better, choice.

After a last reassuring look in the mirror, he heads downstairs. James is already dressed and stands by the door to welcome the first couple of guests with bone-crushing hugs and awful Halloween puns.

Sirius waves at the group from where he is standing on the stairs before he leads them to the living room, passing through the kitchen to hand out drinks. 

The first floor of the house is completely decked out with pumpkins in all shapes, colours and sizes, fake spiderwebs dangle from the ceiling, and the air smells like candy, brown sugar and pumpkin spice. The light is dimmed, fairy lights are draped over windows, countertops and floor lamps, and the disco ball in the middle of the room spins slowly, specks of light dancing across the decorated walls. 

Sirius plugs his phone into the stereo and starts the music before he returns to the hallway. He spots Lily’s flaming red hair at the door where she is talking to James and decides to join them. 

“Lily, it’s so good to see you,” he says loudly over the sound of the music and gives her a friendly hug. Lily laughs and brushes a strand of hair out of her face. “It’s good to see you, too, Sirius. Nice costume.” Sirius smiles proudly, “Thanks! I worked really hard on it.” 

Which is true. The horns alone had taken him two weeks until they looked just the way he wanted them to and he and Euphemia had spent hours sewing and putting together his outfit. Teaching himself how to perfect his eyeliner had been the least time-consuming, but the number of times he had stabbed himself in the eye was embarrassingly high. 

He clears his throat and smoothes out the fabric of his cloak, the fabric soft underneath his touch.

Next to Lily stands a guy dressed as a werewolf who Sirius doesn’t recognize. He wears washed-out jeans and a red flannel shirt, his hands are hidden in furry gloves with sharp claws. Sirius lifts his head and meets his eyes. They are a rich whiskey-like colour with specks of bronze and gold. His long lashes cast soft shadows over his freckled cheeks and his hair curls around his face. The guy smiles awkwardly at Sirius, exposing the fake teeth he’s wearing. 

“Oh, right. You two don’t know each other yet.” She puts a hand on the guy’s back with a smile. “Sirius, this is my friend Remus. And Remus, this is Sirius, James’ brother.”

Sirius shoots James a quick sideways glance. James grins at him, wiggling his eyebrows. “Happy Howl-oween,” he whispers with a wink. Sirius chooses to simply ignore him and instead waves at Remus and says, “Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Hi,” Remus says in return and waves back. “Well, we’ll leave you to it. My ghoulfriend and I have a party to attend,” James says and laces his fingers into Lily’s and pulls her towards him. “Have fun!” is the last thing Lily manages to yell, shooting them both an apologetic look, before James drags her down the hallway.

Sirius watches them leave and can’t help but think that they are trying to set him and Remus up. Sure, Sirius is gay but that doesn’t mean that he’ll make out with every guy he is presented with, no matter how cute he is. He huffs and rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest, and turns back to Remus. 

Remus awkwardly stands in the entrance hall, chewing on his bottom lip, eyes nervously darting from Sirius down the hall and back to Sirius. “I should get going, I think. See you around,” he finally says and stalks away.

Sirius watches him leave and decides to grab himself a drink from the kitchen. He stands in the doorway to the living room and watches as the room slowly fills with more and more people dressed in various costumes, sipping on his drink. There are vampires and ghosts, kitty cats and nurses, police officers and Disney princesses. 

The alcohol is bitter on his tongue but makes being abandoned by his best friend a little more bearable. Absently he moves his head to the music, watching the crowd dance and sing along.

“Hey, Sirius!” says a tiny voice that snaps him back to reality. Sirius blinks down at the sloth standing in front of him. “It’s me, Peter,” the sloth says. 

Sirius laughs. “Petey, good to see you,” Sirius says loudly to drown out the noises around them, patting Peter’s shoulder through his costume. _Holy shit_ , Sirius thinks to himself, _it must be hot as balls in there_. “Nice costume,” he adds before Peter waves him goodbye for now and disappears in the crowd again. Sirius shakes his head with a soft laugh. 

Between the three of them, Peter had always been the odd one out. He’s funny, clearly, but he’s also a little shyer than James and Sirius, a little rounder and softer but very sweet and loyal. 

Sirius chuckles again and casts one last glance toward Peter where he is dancing with a fairy before he decides to start dancing himself. This is a party after all.

Sirius’ hips swing from side to side to the sound of Dance Macabre, the alcohol inside him guides his movements, making it easy to fit himself against the dancing bodies around him.

When he opens his eyes again, he catches Remus’ gaze in the dim light from where he is standing at the edge of the dance floor. He sips on his drink and awkwardly sways to the music. 

Sirius glances down to where Princess Peach is rubbing her arse against his front and then looks back to Remus and decides to put both him and Remus out of their misery. 

He makes his way over to Remus and once he stands in front of him says, “Not a party person, huh?” 

Remus lifts his cup to his lips and immediately lowers it when Sirius catches his eyes. “Oh, you’re talking to me,” he says startled. Sirius laughs. “Of course I am, wolf boy. So, what’s the deal?” 

Remus lets his eyes wander across the room before he answers, “The music is great but I just don’t know anyone. Well, except for Lily but she’s busy right now. And I’m not good at making new acquaintances or talking or dancing for that matter.” 

Sirius nods and then holds his hand out. “But you know me and I’d like to dance with you.”

He can see Remus’ eyes widening and he isn’t quite sure if it’s just the light of the room or if Remus is actually blushing. For a second Sirius fears that he might have overstepped a boundary but then Remus takes his hand and smiles at him. 

It’s the first time he has seen Remus actually smile and even though Sirius Black is the last person to believe in love at first sight, something about the soft curve of Remus’ lips and his kind eyes just leaves him awestruck. 

He blinks a few times before he returns to reality and pulls Remus back with him into the crowd. They keep a friendly distance at first but the crowd around them crashes against them like waves, pushing them closer and closer until Sirius fits himself against Remus, eyes closed and hips swaying to the music. Remus has a gloved hand placed on Sirius’ hip, matching his movements to Sirius’. 

They dance and Sirius finds himself losing track of time, songs fading into one another in the background. He can feel the warmth of Remus’ body behind him, the assertive grip on his hip bone, the movements of his body. His eyes flutter open and he catches James grinning at him from where he is dancing with Lily. 

A sudden realization hits Sirius that makes his stomach drop. This might be their last Halloween together. With both of them out of school and James now dating Lily, their lives are destined to part soon. Sirius had thought about this a few times before but back then it had just been James and him without a care in the world but now there were so many more things to consider. 

_Our last Halloween_ , Sirius thinks, heart heavy in his chest.

He takes a deep breath, shakes his head and flips James off with a forced grin. He then steps away from Remus and turns toward him. “I’m off to grab me another drink. Be back in a sec,” he says to Remus but instead of heading to the kitchen, he steps out onto the terrasse, the cold autumn air tickling his hot cheeks. 

He takes a deep breath, taking off his horns and veil. Sirius sits down on the stairs leading down into the garden and sets his headpieces down next to him. The night is silent, the sound of the party inside the house muffled through the glass-screen door.

Someone steps outside and the door falls shut again with a soft thud. Sirius doesn’t flinch or turn his head, instead, he keeps his eyes fixed on the grass at his feet. “I was looking for you.” Sirius stirs at the sound of the voice. 

“Oh, it’s you, wolf boy.” 

Remus sits down next to Sirius with a laugh and pulls off his furry gloves. The light around them is dim but Sirius can still see Remus’ slender fingers, the soft curves of his knuckles, the pink scars on the back of his hand. He wants to ask what happened to his hand but he remains silent, watching Remus twist and flex his fingers and wrists. 

They sit in silence for a moment, music and vehicle noises in the distance. Sirius can feel Remus’ heat next to him and he wants to scoot closer, craves to touch him but he doesn’t. Instead, he flicks some dirt from the cap of his right shoe. 

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” 

Sirius holds back a sigh, fixes the laces on his shoe and sits upright again. “I don’t know, honestly. I think I just needed some fresh air. Sorry for disappearing on you,” he replies and takes a deep breath. This time he doesn’t hold back his sigh. 

They are silent for another moment before Sirius finds his voice again, “I have been so excited for weeks, Halloween has been my favourite holiday since I was a kid. Especially when I started to live here with James. We used to have so much fun.” He brushes a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “And don’t get me wrong. I still love this, all of this. But… something has changed.”

 _Because of Lily_ , he thinks but doesn’t say it out loud. 

After all, he likes Lily and he likes that she makes James happy, even though Sirius would sometimes like to punch the happy little grin out of his best friend’s face. And Remus is friends with Lily and Sirius likes Remus, too. 

Sirius can be an ass sometimes, he knows that, but he sure as hell isn’t an egotistical prick. Even if he wanted it to, the world doesn’t revolve around him and for once he doesn’t intend on challenging that. 

“I suppose that’s just part of growing up,” he finishes and lifts his head up to look at the pitch-black sky. 

“Have you ever egged a house?” Remus asks nonchalantly and leans back, now facing the stars too. 

“What?” Sirius turns his head, jaw slightly dropped, and blinks a few times. A sly smile tugs at the corner of Remus’ lips and Sirius finds himself staring at them for a little too long. Remus catches him staring and Sirius quickly averts his eyes. 

“Have you ever egged a house, Sirius?” he asks again with a laugh. 

Sirius shakes his head slowly. “I don’t think so,” he says, dragging out the words. 

“Then let’s do it.”

“What? Right now?” 

Remus stands up and stretches his hand out. “No, in fifty years. Of course now, Sirius. Come on.” 

Sirius looks up at Remus standing in front of him, a mischievous glint in his eyes and grabs Remus’ hand with a grin. “You get the eggs from the fridge, I’ll get us a ride,” Sirius says as Remus pulls him to his feet.

Together they head back inside through the glass-screen door, parting when Remus heads into the kitchen and Sirius rushes into the garage to get a bicycle that could fit the two of them. He could, of course, take his own bike and lend James’ bike to Remus but Sirius decides to be selfish, wanting to have Remus as close to him as possible.

 _I’m sure Euphemia won’t mind_ , Sirius thinks to himself as he pulls her bicycle out of the garage. It’s a beautiful teal colour with hand-painted flowers, a frog-shaped bell, a small wicker basket strapped to the handlebar and a cargo rack big enough for someone to sit on. 

Remus joins him a few moments later, a carton of eggs in his hand. He has left most of his costume inside the house, except for his ears and Sirius can’t help but giggle at the way they wobble around as he walks. “Whose house should we go to? Do you have an ex-girlfriend or a teacher you hate?” 

Sirius wants to say that his ex-girlfriends are actually ex-boyfriends but he remains silent. Instead, he thumbs over the frog-shaped bell. 

“I once egged my school after I got suspended for a week after I called out my homophobic teacher. Got me in a lot of trouble but that prick did get fired in the end,” Remus continues nonchalantly with a shrug and hands Sirius the carton of eggs.

Sirius bites his lip, suddenly regretting to not have mentioned the whole ex-boyfriend thing. He doesn’t really know why but he wants Remus to know that he likes boys, that he likes him. Which catches Sirius off guard for a second. It took him a while to come to terms with his sexuality, years of shame and guilt had been hard to shake off and even now he prefers to keep it hidden, afraid of what the world might have to say. He barely knows Remus but being rejected by him still seems scary.

“I never figured you’d be that kind of guy to get into trouble, like at all,” Sirius says as he carefully places the eggs inside the wicker basket. 

Remus laughs and shrugs again. “Makes me less suspicious, I suppose. Anyway, where should we go?”

Sirius doesn’t take long to answer, he has thought about it ever since Remus had suggested this little trip. “Oh, leave that up to me, wolf boy,” he says with a grin. 

Sirius gets on the bike and gestures for Remus to sit on the luggage rack. Remus climbs onto the bike behind him and Sirius pushes himself off of the ground once Remus is fully seated, his long limbs awkwardly folded. 

At first, the bike dangerously sways from side to side but they quickly catch their balance and ride off into the night, the Potter’s house getting smaller in the distance, the sounds of the party fading away. The wind carries their carefree laughs through the city as they ride through the dark, chasing down empty roads. 

They reach the better side of town, the streets lined with mansions and parks. Sirius stops in front of Number 12 and he and Remus get off the bike. Sirius leans it against the iron fence surrounding his parents’ property. He has always hated that fence, it looks ugly and too posh, pretentious. _Just like them_ , Sirius thinks to himself as he heads towards the small gate and pushes it open. 

“Where are we?” Remus asks quietly, following Sirius up the gravel path to the house. 

“My parents’ house,” Sirius answers. 

“Wait, I thought you and James were brothers?” Remus asks, eyebrow raised. 

Sirius turns towards him, brushing a nervous hand through his hair. “Yes but also no. It’s… not that easy.” He turns back to the house, tugging his lower lip between his teeth.

He hasn’t been here ever since the day he ran away with nothing but a suitcase and his rucksack in hand, stuffed to the brim with clothes and memories, his guitar slung over his shoulder. 

“I ran away when I was sixteen. James and his parents took me in and I have lived with them since that day. They have been a better family to me than mine could ever be.” His voice is small and quiet, the words feel heavy on his tongue.

Sirius swallows audibly and sucks in a breath. He suddenly feels nervous.

The house looks exactly the same as it did that day and he suddenly feels sixteen again. The two marble lions still guard the stairway up to the front door and are as always polished to perfection, ivy climbs up the facade, the large windows are lifeless, curtains drawn close.

“They’re not home,” he says, louder this time, shoulders straightened. “But my brother might be, but knowing Reg he’s already asleep and once that guy’s out, he’s out.” Sirius doesn’t quite know why he tells Remus that. Maybe it’s because he wants to make sure Remus feels safe, or it’s to soothe his own nerves. Maybe both. Sirius isn’t quite sure.

“I’m sorry, Sirius. I shouldn’t have suggested all this. Let’s get back to the party. I bet James and Lily are already looking for us.” 

Remus turns to leave but Sirius catches him by the wrist. “No,” he says, his voice stern and grey eyes set on the house. “I’m not running away, not this time.” He grabs the carton from Remus’ hand, flips it open and takes the first egg out. He takes another deep breath, smoothes his thumb over the eggshell and then throws the egg. Both of them watch it fly through the air until it hits the wall, eggshells and egg whites splattering all over. 

Sirius can feel relief wash over him, guilt and fear that he had been carrying for all those years suddenly seem to disappear. He can feel the freedom, the liberation blooming inside of him. He throws a second egg and then another and another until the carton is empty. Sirius wants to scream and laugh, his entire body is buzzing with excitement.

Suddenly, the light in the hallway turns on and the door opens. Sirius can feel his heart drop, shoulders tensing. Regulus steps out, the light from inside harsh against his slender frame. “Sirius?” he asks, his voice drowsy with sleep. “Reg,” Sirius replies, the tone of his voice unreasonably happy. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Sirius feels the tension drop from his shoulders a little, his confidence returning. _It’s just Reg_ , he tells himself, _he’s not them_. “Oh, you know, the usual. Pure mindless vandalism and all.” He holds up the empty carton of eggs. 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Regulus asks, taking a few steps forward and looking up the facade. The egg whites glisten in the moonlight.

Sirius tries to hold back a laugh but fails, the sound close to a bark. “No, Reggie. And if I was, I would have fucking missed.” He flips his brother off and then turns on his heels, grabs Remus’ hand and drags him down to the gate and out on the street. “Tell mum and dad that I said hi!” he yells and snags the bike, tosses the carton into the wicker basket and climbs on the saddle. 

Once Remus sits behind him, Sirius pushes himself off of the ground and chases down the dark road. The city passes in a blur and soon enough they round the corner to the street where the Potters live.

They stop and get off the bike and Sirius lets it fall onto the sidewalk and tumbles to the ground, dragging Remus down with him. 

He laughs loudly, the sound raw in his throat. His heart feels light, the adrenaline still coursing through his trembling body. He feels electrified, free, on top of the world. He, Peter and James had pulled their fair share of pranks over the years but nothing has ever felt as good as this.

Sirius isn’t quite sure whether he just feels drunk or actually is from the excitement of it all.

He turns his head and catches a glimpse of Remus beside him in the yellow light of the near-by street lamps. His cheeks are red and pupils blown wide, a few curls stick to his sweaty forehead and his werewolf ears sit crookedly on his head, his lips spread in a wide and exhausted grin.

Sirius first thought that Remus was cute back at the party, the way he awkwardly moved and talked with his hands, chewed on his lip when listening or ran a hand through his curly hair. But now he thinks that Remus has to be the most beautiful person he has ever seen. 

Remus catches him staring but unlike before, Sirius doesn’t look away. His expression softens and his grin turns into a smile, honest and raw. Their faces are inches apart and even though he probably should, Sirius doesn’t move.

“Are you trying to bewitch me?” Remus asks, his eyes half-closed, lashes casting soft shadows across his freckled cheeks. 

Sirius feels his heart jump. “I don’t know, am I?” he retorts, leaning even closer. 

Remus chuckles and places his hand on Sirius’ cheek, swiftly brushing his thumb over his cheekbone. “Whatever it is, it’s definitely working,” he whispers, eyes fluttering shut as he closes the distance between them.

The kiss that follows is sweet and shy, their lips barely brushing but it’s enough to send Sirius’ heart racing again. He can feel his heart beating inside of his fingertips, his skin vibrating. 

He draws back just a little to catch the soft expression on Remus’ face. His eyes are half-closed, lips slightly parted. Sirius smiles the biggest and brightest smile when honey-coloured eyes meet his grey ones. 

He just egged his parents’ house, now lays under the stars and kisses a cute boy named Remus who’s dressed like a werewolf.

This might just be his favourite Halloween ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave kudos or a comment. I'd really appreciate it 💌
> 
> Quick PSA: please don't throw eggs at people's houses, thank you ✨
> 
> [Peter's costume](https://media1.giphy.com/media/fRd7ZJ4OgVZ6h2QzSs/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47ce851140c4fc8f1fc3737bf8a42f904215d2e740&rid=giphy.gif), in case you were curious 🦥
> 
> Please also consider checking out the other submissions for this fest.
> 
> Let's stay connected over on [tumblr](https://im-captain-egg.tumblr.com/) 🌻


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